Barnesville Public School #146
2021-2022 School Year Plan
Reopening Plans ~ Fall 2021
COVID-19
*Subject to change as needed.
Table of Contents
Letter from Superintendent…………….…..…....………..….....3
School Statements……………………...…...………….….........4
Survey Results…………………………...……….……..…......5-6
State Parameters………………………………...….……….......8
Back to School Meetings………………………………………..9
Barnesville Public School Learning Plans……………........10-14
Information for Families………………………...............….15-16
Health and Safety…………………………….………..…....17-22
Nutrition……………………...………………....……...….……..23
Transportation…………………...…………….……….........24-25
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Barnesville Public School
2021-2022 School Year Plan
Welcome to the 2021-22 school year!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jon Ellerbusch, Superintendent
Letter from Superintendent
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Barnesville Public Schools
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2021-2022 School Year Plan
Core Values
Mission
Working Collaboratively to develop responsible students in an innovative environment.
Vision
Recognized for excellence, integrity and challenging learners to reach their full potential.
Listening to Stakeholder Input
In the August 6 parent survey a question asked, “Assuming appropriate safety measures are in place, what is your decision to return your student to school on Tuesday, September 1, 2020? Most of our parents responded to the online survey. Here are numbers from their responses.
In-person = 747
Full-time Distance learning ONLY = 73
My child will NOT return to Barnesville Public Schools = 13
Breakdown by grade level for students participating in Full-time Distance learning ONLY
Preschool = 2 Grade 3 = 4 Grade 7 = 6 Grade 11 = 2
Kindergarten = 5 Grade 4 = 8 Grade 8 = 8 Grade 12 = 1
Grade 1 = 7 Grade 5 = 9 Grade 9 = 2 Note: There were some duplicates in the parent responses
Grade 2 = 4 Grade 6 = 10 Grade 10 = 2 and numbers will change up or down before school.
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Results of the parent survey on July 20 told us 87% of families are ready to come back to school. The other 13% were less or not at all likely to return to in-person school right away in the fall. We knew we needed to work on equitable educational opportunities for students choosing full-time distance learning ONLY.
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Results of the parent survey on July 20 told us 14% of students would be prevented from returning to school because of their or someone else’s health.
Results of the parent survey on July 20 told us mandatory daily health screenings was important to families. The School District responded adding procedures above the state requirements to keep our children as safe as possible.
There were a large number of concerned comments on the July 20 parent survey about cleaning and sanitation. Some of the comments were the following:
Our reopening school plan has made cleaning, sanitizing, and good hygiene a top priority on day one.
Stakeholder Input Continued
Transportation Parent Survey Results
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Nutrition Parent Survey Results
Does your family want to participate in breakfast and lunch on school days when your child(ren) is at home learning in a hybrid or distance learning model.
479 responses.
If you are a family choosing FULL TIME DISTANCE LEARNING for your child(ren), do you want to participate in breakfast and lunch for picking up your meals from school
130 responses.
Will your child(ren) by riding the MORNING bus route?
476 responses.
Will your child(ren) be riding the AFTERNOON bus route?
476 responses
State Parameters
In order to determine the base learning model, school districts and charter schools will be advised of the bi-weekly case rate (over 14 days) by county of residence. These data are the number of cases by county of residence in Minnesota over 14 days per 10,000 people by date of specimen collection (when a person was tested). While any increase in case incidence represents greater potential risk, schools may consider a bi-weekly case rate of 10 or more cases per 10,000 to be an elevated risk of disease transmission within the local community, especially when the level of cases per week is sustained or increasing over time.
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Back to School Meetings
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Elementary
Due to the uniqueness of this year, instead of our typical back to school night, which is currently scheduled on Wednesday, August 28, we will use the first week of school, Sept 1st - Sept 4th, as a meet-the-teacher, family/student technology support opportunity and pre-assessment time. The school district will set 45 minute time slots with each student’s classroom teachers.
Sept 1, 2, 3: Back to School Meetings
Sept 4: Distance Learning Day - Morning will be used for contact with families to obtain missing information and answer any questions from families. The afternoon will be used for teachers to analyze pre-assessment materials and plan for the first week back to school.
Students
Teachers
Parents/Families
Administration
Benefits of doing it this way:
High School
Preschool
Following MDE guidelines preschool class size is limited to 9 children. Children are not required to wear masks in the classroom but will follow physical distancing as much as possible.
Barnesville Public School Learning Plans 2020-21
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2021-2022 School Year Plan
Open House:
Open house will look different this year. Each family is welcome to schedule a 30 minute visit and pre-conference with the teacher. Additional information will be mailed to preschool families.
Scenario 1:
In person - all registered children will attend on their scheduled days, including on Fridays. We will follow physical distancing as much as possible. All students will be given separate materials to reduce the possible spread. Preschool children are not required to wear masks in the classroom.
Scenario 2:
Hybrid for the district - No change from scenario 1 (above). Preschool children will attend on their scheduled days. We will follow physical distancing as much as possible. All students will be given separate materials to reduce the possible spread. Preschool children are not required to wear masks in the classroom.
Scenario: 3
Distance Learning - Preschool children will participate in distance learning. Schedule and details will be provided for registered families.
Barnesville Public School Learning Plans 2020-21
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Option 1: In-Person (3 scenarios) | Option 2: Full-Time Distance Learning |
Specific scenarios based on MDH guidelines. | Based on parent preference for each student |
SCENARIO 1 - In-Person All students in class M-Th, following social distancing guidelines. Distance learning for all students on Friday. | Dedicated Full-time distance learning teacher(s) will be designated for individualized instruction supported by grade-level teachers. (K-3, 4-6) |
SCENARIO 2 -Hybrid Explanation (Flipped Classroom Approach) Alternating days for groups (A/B) with distance learning for both groups on Friday. example: A group: Monday/Wednesday - Teacher/student focused time on practice and reinforcement in school. Tuesday/Thursday - Grade level specific, prerecorded instruction with the expectation of student response and reflection at home. Daily contact made by the classroom teacher using a virtual platform. B group: Monday/Wednesday - Grade level specific, prerecorded instruction with the expectation of student response and reflection at home. Daily contact made by the classroom teacher using a virtual platform. Tuesday/Thursday - Teacher/student focused time on practice and reinforcement in school. *All students will receive 2 days of in-person and 3 days of distance learning. | Explanation (Flipped Classroom Approach) Full-Time Distance Learning students will be split into 2 groups to accommodate differentiated instruction. Alternating live instruction days for groups (A/B). example: If 30 students choose to be Full-Time Distance Learners then 15 would be group A and 15 would be group B. example: A group: Monday/Wednesday - Grade level specific, prerecorded instruction with the expectation of student response and reflection. Daily contact made by the dedicated full-time distance learning teacher. B group: - Teacher/student live sessions- focused time on practice and reinforcement. Tuesday/Thursday *With distance learning for both groups on Friday. |
SCENARIO 3 - Distance Learning All students would be distance learning through virtual platforms following the A/B alternating schedule (similar to hybrid explanation) with their classroom teacher. | |
Elementary (Grades K-6)
Option to change: Students will have the option to change between in-person and full-time distance learning
ONLY 1 time during the 2020-2021 school year. Please contact the administration with questions.
Minnesota Safe Learning Plan 2020-21
Barnesville Public School Learning Plans 2020-21
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Option 1: In-Person (3 scenarios) | Option 2: Full-Time Distance Learning |
Specific scenarios based on MDH guidelines. | Based on parent preference for each student |
SCENARIO 1 - In-Person All students in class M-Th, following social distancing guidelines. Distance learning for all students on Friday. | Distance Learning Students will be required to watch pre recorded subject lessons or log on for live streaming during the regular class time. Students will interact with teachers during the last 15 minutes of each hour through zoom. M-TH |
SCENARIO 2 - Hybrid Explanation (Flipped Classroom or Live Stream see teacher syllabus) Alternating days for groups (A/B) with distance learning for both groups on Friday.
example: A group: Monday/Wednesday - Teacher/student focused time on instruction, practice, and reinforcement in school. Tuesday/Thursday - Subject specific, prerecorded instruction with the expectation of student interaction. Daily contact made by the classroom teacher using a virtual platform. B group: Monday/Wednesday - Subject specific prerecorded instruction with the expectation of student interaction. Daily contact made by the classroom teacher using a virtual platform. Tuesday/Thursday - Teacher/student focused time on instruction, practice, and reinforcement in school. *All students will receive 2 days of in-person and 3 days of distance learning. | Friday Schedule: |
SCENARIO 3 - Distance Learning Students will be required to watch pre recorded subject lessons or log on for live streamed lessons during the regular class time. Students will interact with teachers during the last 15 minutes of each hour through zoom. | |
High School (Grades 7-12)
Option to change: Students will have the option to change between in-person and full-time distance learning
ONLY 1 time during the 2020-2021 school year. Please contact the administration with questions.
Barnesville Public School Learning Plans 2020-21
Special Education Services
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In-Person Model - Special Education
All services/supports will be provided in accordance with the child's Individualized Education Program (IEP). If modifications to the IEP are necessary, the child's team will discuss (virtually) the potential adjustments. Parents/Guardians with concerns/questions are encouraged to contact (phone call/email) the child's case manager.
Hybrid Model - Special Education
All services/supports will be provided in accordance with the child's Individualized Education Program (IEP). If adjustments to a child's schedule are necessary, a staff member will communicate these potential changes to parents/guardians. If substantive modifications to the IEP are required, a team meeting (virtually) may be convened to discuss modifications. Parents/Guardians with concerns/questions are encouraged to contact (phone call/email) the child's case manager.
Distance Learning - Special Education
All services/supports will be provided in accordance with the child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and/or Distance Learning Addendum (DLA). If a team is unable to implement services as documented in the IEP during distance learning, a DLA will be developed. During a transition to/from distance learning, a staff member will communicate schedule/service adjustments with the child's parents/guardians. Parents/Guardians with concerns/questions are encouraged to contact (phone call/email) the child's case manager.
Distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has created different types of traumatic experiences and high levels of stress for many of our staff, students, and families. For many, especially children, the stress and trauma threaten to have long-lasting negative impacts on the body and brain. Each person will need additional supports and systems that will help to rebalance and refocus on the task of learning and being productive in school.
Please contact our elementary or high school office if support services are needed by a member in your family. The School District has contracts with Lakeland Mental Health and Lake Agassiz Education Cooperative for professional mental health services.
Mental Health Supports for Students
Specials
Elementary
Library - Follow safety guidelines while checking books out.
Music - Use social distancing within the classroom.
Gym - Follow guidelines from Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
High School
Gym - Follow guidelines from Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
Music - Follow guidelines from Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
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Athletic and Co-curricular Activities
Barnesville Public Schools will rely on and implement guidance from the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) to safely hold athletic practices, competitions and events. All students, employees and members of the public will be required to verify they are free of COVID-19 symptoms to attend all athletic and co-curricular activities.
Hybrid Calendar
Information for Families
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A/B groupings created to keep families together and follow MDH guidelines.
Information for Families Continued
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Visitors
Only students and staff should be present inside the school buildings.
Visitors will be limited to only accessing the main entrance / office area.
All persons entering the building will be required to verify they are free of COVID-19 symptoms.
Barnesville Public School
2020-2021 School Year Plan
**Plan ahead for daycare needs within the different school models.
Group A/B - Administration will be notifying families their assigned group. Families will be kept together.
During Hybrid Scenario:
Group A: In-school Monday and Wednesday
Group B: In- School Tuesday and Thursday
* All students Distance on Fridays.
Distance Learning:
All students at home Monday through Friday.
School-aged Childcare
School-aged childcare will be provided for children of critical workers and school employees on days the School District is in either distance learning or hybrid scenarios.
Plan A
Plan B
Health and Safety
Barnesville Public Schools will implement daily health screening practices for all students, staff, and visitors.
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Temp Guardian
All staff and students will have their temperature taken daily upon entry onto a school bus/van or into the Elementary and High School.
The wrist and hand scanning devices take 1-2 seconds to record temperatures.
Scans will be done twice a day with Paraprofessional management at arrival and lunch times.
Health and Safety Continued
Symptoms for COVID-19
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Staff and students with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
This list does not include all possible symptoms. The CDC updates this list as we learn more about COVID-19.
Regular screening for symptoms and ongoing self-monitoring throughout the school day can help to
quickly identify signs of illness and help reduce exposure. Staff and students are encouraged to self-monitor symptoms throughout the day. Staff or students who develop symptoms during the school day must notify the nurse or secretary in the school building immediately.
Testing Educators and School Staff
The state has a contract with a national saliva testing lab and will work with all insurers to ensure that all educators have access to a COVID-19 test from day one. This is a test that can be conducted at home and utilizes a courier for transport. This ensures that in the case where an educator has close contact with a confirmed case and experiences any challenges getting tested in their community, there is a back-up option.
Health and Safety Measures
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Center of Disease Control (CDC) have highlighted specific mitigating strategies to reduce risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission.
Healthy Hygiene Practices
Routine healthy hygiene practices are a foundational measure to protect against COVID-19 and other illnesses. Barnesville Public Schools’ hand washing guidelines for students is to wash hands for at least 20 seconds after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing; upon arrival to school and dismissal, before and after eating, and upon entering classrooms. Staff will provide ongoing education and supervision of proper hand washing and safe hand sanitizer use. Routine breaks for handwashing will be built into the daily schedule. If soap and water are not readily available, sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol will be provided.
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Decision Tree for COVID-19 Symptoms
Health and Safety Continued
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The School District’s COVID-19 Team is made of up the following positions:
Superintendent (Jon), Principals (Bryan and Todd), Teacher Representatives (elementary and high school), Nurse (Trisha), Food Service Director (Sharon), Buildings and Grounds Director (Don), Transportation Company (Debbie), Technology Coordinator (Casey), and Technology Integrationist (Holly).
Dr. Jon Ellerbusch is the District COVID-19 Coordinator
Mr. Bryan Strand is the HS COVID-19 Coordinator
Mr. Todd Henrickson is the Elementary COVID-19 Coordinator
Face Coverings
All staff, visitors, and students over age 5 will wear face coverings while
inside the school facilities and riding on district provided transportation.
A face covering is not meant to substitute for social distancing, but is
especially important in situations when maintaining a 6-foot distance is
not possible.
Exceptions to this requirement include:
The School District is providing one face covering with a school logo to all students and staff. The designs to be used in the elementary are digi, verge and rush. The designs to be used in the high school are banded, check and replica. Staff and students may choose to wear their own face covering as long as it meets the minimum requirement of covering the nose and mouth. Staff will educate and reinforce the use of face coverings and/or face shields for students and staff throughout the school day, including on transportation vehicles, inside school buildings, and generally when on school grounds.
A face shield (a clear plastic barrier that covers the face) will be worn by teachers to allow visibility of their facial expressions and lip movements for speech perception. Students may wear a face shield as an alternative to a face covering in the following situations:
Health and Safety Continued
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Safety Partitions
Some of the school offices, classrooms and other educational settings will have safety partitions to protect students, staff and visitors when 6’ social distancing is not quite possible.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Additional protective equipment (e.g., gloves) will be provided, as appropriate, for settings that require close human contact, such as for staff providing certain supports for students with disabilities.
Staff, students, and other people present in the school buildings may temporarily remove their face covering or face shield in the following situations:
Health and Safety Continued
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Facilities
Indoor Education + Shared Spaces
Intensified Cleaning and Disinfection
Health and Safety Continued
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Maximizing Space Between Students to Reduce Transmission
Student desks/tables will be rearranged to maximize space between students to reduce transmission. Desks/tables may be turned to face in the same direction and consider an alternating grid so that the back of the student’s head isn’t directly in front of the student behind them. All non-essential furniture will be removed from the classroom to allow for greater social distancing.
Student Lockers
Lockers will not be used to store school supplies. Students must carry materials in a backpack or bag. Lockers will be used in the winter months to store coats, snow pants, boots etc. Gym lockers will still be used to store gym clothes.
Space Markers
Floors will be marked out to direct circulation paths. Where feasible to further minimize contact separate entrances/exits will be used to manage one-way traffic.
Nutrition
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In-Person learning
Hybrid learning
In the blended learning scenario, students who need them will daily have the opportunity to take meals home for days they are not at school.
Distance learning
In a distance learning scenario, families who need them will be invited to pick up pre-packaged meals at designated sites throughout the District.
Full-Time Distance Learning
Meals will be available to be picked up daily if 100% (Full-Time) distance learning is chosen by family.
Transportation
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Student Safety
Face Covering on Transportation Vehicles
All persons driving or riding in a school transportation vehicle must wear a face covering. Seating will be assigned to maintain 6 feet of distance between the driver and all riders.
Regular Cleaning and Disinfecting of Transportation Vehicles
Transportation vehicles will be cleaned and disinfected regularly, focusing on frequent cleaning of touched surfaces in the vehicle (e.g., surfaces near the driver’s seat, hard seats, door handles, seat belt buckles, light and air controls, doors and windows, grab handles) between routes.
Doors and windows will be kept open when cleaning the vehicle and between trips to let the vehicles thoroughly air out.
Health Screening Prior to Boarding Transportation Vehicles
The symptom screening protocol outlined in the health mitigation strategies for reopening section, above, will be followed for any person entering a school transportation vehicle. Students must stay home and not board transportation if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone positive for COVID-19.
Students who become ill during the day may not use group transportation to return home. If a driver becomes sick during the day, they must follow protocols outlined for people who are ill and may not return to drive students.
Added Safety Measures While Riding on Transportation Vehicles
A hand sanitizer dispenser will be placed at the entry door of all transportation vehicles to support healthy hygiene for students and drivers.
Assigned seating will be used to assist with rapid contact tracing in the event there is a positive case who rode on a school transportation vehicle while potentially infectious.
Buses will be loaded back to front and unloaded front to back.
No food or drinks on transportation vehicles.
Windows will be open if appropriate and safe while the vehicle is in motion to help increase air circulation.
Transportation Continued
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Hybrid Model
The maximum number of people on transportation vehicles will be reduced to 50% maximum occupancy. Household members may be seated in rows together. Minivans (Type III Vehicles) will be limited to two families.
Increasing Capacity
Walkers
Adopting a walking zone to 1 mile for K-5th grade and 2 miles for 6th - 12th grade will be considered.
For safety, resources such as Walking School Buses and Safe Routes to School will be considered. (“A walking school bus is a group of children walking to school with one or more adults” For more information http://www.walkingschoolbus.org)
Private Vehicles
Juniors and seniors who drive to school will be encouraged to also drive their siblings.